Three former Detroit Red Wings who have failed to find work for the 2024-25 season have at least secured what amounts to an NHL job interview.

Matt Luff signed a PTO withe Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers, while defensemen Gustav Lindstrom and Mark Pysyk secured the same pro tryout agreement with the Anaheim Ducks.

Luff, 27, has played 106 NHL games, including 19 for the Red Wings in 2022-23. The Red Wings appreciated his 6-foot-2 size and work ethic. When he was down the Grand Rapids Griffins, he was also an impact player. In 54 games for the Griffins over two years, he shows 18 goals and 43 points.

The only negative about Luff is he is unlucky when it comes to injuries. But he has the tools to be an effective bottom six forward with enough skill to chip in goals now and then.

Lindstrom is only 25, and played for the Ducks last season. Maybe the Ducks are waiting to see how their defense looks at the end of training camp.

Pysyk, 32, hasn’t played in the NHL since 2021-22. He was on Detroit’s roster with a signed contract, but never actually played for the team because of an Achilles injury. Last season, he played 37 AHL games.

Players sign PTO agreements with the hope of persuading the team to sign them. But they also just want to play preseason games to remind every team in the league they are available and ready to play.

The Red Wings have one noteworthy PTO player: Michigan native Austin Watson, 32, a hard-nosed, 240-pound left wing who played for the Tampa Bay Lightning last season. He has played for three NHL teams (Nashville, Ottawa and Tampa Bay)

The post Three Former Red Wings Accept Invites to NHL Camps appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

Three players who’ve played prominent roles for the Grand Rapids Griffins – two of whom saw duty with the Detroit Red Wings – are still looking for work with just a couple of weeks to go until NHL training camps get underway.

Forwards Taro Hirose, Matt Luff and Joel L’Esperance are all unrestricted free agents who’ve yet to find a new hockey home.

Left-winger Hirose has been an ever-present in the Red Wings organization since 2019. He suited up for 60 games with Detroit, collecting 4-16-20 totals as an NHLer. Hirose also shows 51 goals and 151 assists in 248 AHL games for the Griffins. However, last year he was slumping to 9-27-36 numbers in 54 games and two assists in eight playoff games. He’d gone over 50 points in each of his two previous campaigns with the Griffins.

Injuries hampered right-winger Luff during his two seasons with the Detroit organization. When he did play, he certainly was playing well. Last season with the Griffins, Luff put up 10-8-18 numbers in 26 games. During the 2022-23 season, Luff was good for 25 points in 28 games with Grand Rapids and spent 19 games with the Red Wings, accounting for 2-2-4 numbers.

Center L’Esperance was playing for the Griffins on an AHL contract. He put up 16-12-28 numbers last season. That was down from the solid 25-24-49 totals he was posting in 2022-23.

One member of the 2023-24 Griffins was finding himself a place to play this week. After six seasons with Grand Rapids, forward Tyler Spezia was agreeing to terms on a one-year deal with the ECHL Toledo Walleye. Spezia previously played with the Walleye in 2018-19 and 2019-20.

Finnie Ready To Lead

The Red Wings believe so much in center Emmitt Finnie that they’ve already got their 2023 seventh-round pick’s name on an NHL contract. He’ll be playing in next week’s rookie games in Traverse City. Then he’ll return to play his fourth WHL season with the Kamloops Blazers.

“It feel’s weird,” Finnie said on the Blazers’ social media feed. “The last couple of years I’ve been one of the younger guys on the team.”

Just like that @emmitt_finnie32 entering his 4th season!
cc: @DetroitRedWings pic.twitter.com/SSA90cds8I

— Kamloops Blazers (@blazerhockey) August 29, 2024

He’s looking forward to the opporunity to be a team leader for the younger players.

“Just trying to help them out as much as I can,” Finnie said. “I remember when I was 16 I was looking up to those older guys. I know it’s going to be the same thing for them. I’ll try to help them out as much as possible.”

Last season, Finnie, 19. led the Blazers in goals (19), assists (40) and points (59). He even managed to play three AHL games for the Griffins.

Red Wings Pick Buchelnikov Sets Up Winner

Dmitri Buchelnikov, who turned 21 on Friday, drew the primary assist on the game-winning goal as Vityaz shutout Amur 2-0 in KHL action.

Happy 21st birthday to Dima Buchelnikov pic.twitter.com/pop633dsaN

— KHL (@khl_eng) September 6, 2024

Two games into the season, the player Detroit was choosing 52nd overall in the 2022 NHL entry draft is good for a goal and two assists.

The post Red Wings Notebook: Hirose, Luff Still Looking For Work appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

General manager Steve Yzerman undoubtedly longs for the day when his top prospects are digging deep to help their Detroit Red Wings claw their way back into a high-profile NHL playoff series.

But before we get there, Yzerman and his management team would like to see those prospects help the Grand Rapids Griffins battle their way back into their current AHL series. The Griffins face elimination tonight if they don’t beat the Milwaukee Admirals at Van Andel Arena (7 p.m.). The Nashville Predators’ AHL -affiliate owns a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five series.

“Everybody has to prepare knowing that this team is going to come out hungry and try to put us away early,” Grand Rapids forward Matt Luff said. “We have to match it and be better. The first 10 (minutes) are huge. I think we set the tone in the first 10 shots, hits and shots on net.”

To come from behind in a playoff series isn’t a historically simple assignment: The Griffins have only rallied to win a playoff series once when they trailed 2-1 in a best-of-five. That came in 2015 when the Griffins rallied from a 2-0 series deficit to down the Toronto team.

One key for the Griffins is whether their injured No. 1 defenseman Simon Edvinsson will be ready to play. He is day to day with an undisclosed injury.

The Griffins have missed his 6-foot-6 size against the bigger Admirals team. Grand Rapids won Game 1 in Milwaukee when he played, and have lost the last two games without Edvinsson in the lineup.

Confident Griffins

Luff’s idea for a Game 4 game plan is a logical approach because the Griffins have started poorly in their last two games.

“(We have) to stay with it, focus on what you can control, make the plays that you need to make and just control the puck,” Griffins center Austin Czarnik said. “If we can do those things, we still have a good chance.”

Luff adds: “We have to push the pace.”

Let's turn our attention back to something pic.twitter.com/q8oH1KLfWr

— x – Grand Rapids Griffins (@griffinshockey) May 23, 2024

Jonatan Berggren has 10 shots on goal in the first three games of this series, but he hasn’t scored yet. He has two assists. Berggren scored all three game-winning goals for Grand Rapids in its first round triumph over Rockford. With Detroit’s management group all gathered in Grand Rapids for this series, Berggren has an opportunity to show Yzerman he can play a role on the Red Wings next season.

Likewise, Sebastian Cossa has an opportunity to demonstrate his value to the organization.  He is matched up against Jaroslav Askarov, who is Nashville’s goalie of future  Cossa has had a GAA below 3.00 and a save percentage at .900 or above in four of his five playoff starts, but he may have to raise his game to an even higher level against an impressive Milwaukee group.

The Griffins gained plenty of confidence in the second half of the season when they were piling up points. “I know this team is going to turn it around,” Cossa said.

The post Griffins Face Elimination Against Nashville Farm Team appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

It had to happen some time, and that time was Monday night for the Grand Rapids Griffins. The streak is over.

The Griffins lost for the first time in nearly two months, falling to the Cleveland Monsters 5-3.

It was the first regulation loss in 18 games (13-0-3-2) for the Griffins, whose streak began Jan. 12.

Grand Rapids took the lead in the first period on a power-play goal by Jonatan Berggren, who recorded his 27th point in his last 24 games.

Looking good pic.twitter.com/Cl5XfLum0I

— Grand Rapids Griffins (@griffinshockey) March 5, 2024

Cleveland scored three consecutive goals in the second period before Matt Luff scored late to make it 3-2 going into the third.

Dominik Shine tied it early in the third, but Cleveland’s Trey Fix-Wolansky scored the game-winner midway through the period. The Monsters put it out of reach with an empty-net goal in the final minute by Brendan Gaunce, his second goal of the game.

It was the longest point streak for the Griffins since a 19-game string in 2015.

Berggren scored his team-leading 19th goal of the season to extend a personal points streak to six (3-3—6), while Zach Aston-Reese extended his points streak to five games (3-2-—5).

Michael Hutchinson took the loss in net for the Griffins, ending a personal points streak at nine (7-0-2).

The Monsters won their second game in a row and have recorded a point in nine of their last 10 games. The win gave Cleveland a little breathing room in the AHL North, where the Monsters lead second-place Syracuse by five points.

Grand Rapids remains 10 points behind first-place Milwaukee in the AHL Central. The Griffins play on the road against the Admirals on Saturday.

The Griffins are off until Friday, when they play host to Chicago. They’ll be back in Cleveland on March 12.

The post Griffins Points String Snapped at 18 appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

Detroit Hockey Now’s Red Wings Review series is assessing every player who held a significant place in the fortunes of the 2022-23 Detroit Red Wings season. We’ll be looking at the highs and lows they experienced during the just-completed campaign, as well as what the future holds for them in Detroit. Today, we feature forward Matt Luff

Matt Luff

Position: Right Wing

2021-22 totals (GP-G-A-P): 19-2-2-4

Contract Status: Restricted free agent (RFA)

Season Synopsis

Luff earned plenty of respect from his teammates and his coaching staff early in the season when he was at practice the next day after being struck in the face by an 89 mph shot from Minnesota Wild defenseman Matt Dumba. The puck hit Luff’s stick and rode up into his face. He lost teeth and needed 16 stitches to close the wound.

Not only was the big forward was at practice the next day, he played a regular shift against the Buffalo Sabres two days later.

“Watching that Buffalo game back, he did some really good things for us,” Derek coach Derek Lalonde said. “He’s connected within our structure. Some simple plays, actually helped us out with some O-zone play. That’s the culture of hockey. Put the face mask on and he didn’t miss a beat. It’s a credit to him.”

Detroit forward Matt Luff took an 89 MPH slapshot off the chin last night against Minnesota, losing teeth and needing 16 stitches to repair the damage. He was on the ice for practice this morning. #LuffIsTough pic.twitter.com/zsBvcUIvsr

— Allan Walsh (@walsha) October 30, 2022

In retrospect, Luff, 25, was a first-rate signing because he was productive for the Griffins (25 points in 28 games) when he was playing in the American Hockey League and was a serviceable bottom six forward when he was with the Red Wings.

Lalonde said Luff helped the Red Wings in a variety of ways, not the least of which is his size. He’s 6-foot-2, 205 pounds.

“(Luff) has some hockey sense, he’s connected in all of our structure,” Lalonde said. “He doesn’t hurt us. You haven’t noticed him for an egregious turnover, being caught out of place or being stuck in a bad position. He’s done some good things and he’s helped connect us with the help, helping transport it from the D-zone to the O-zone. He’s been good for us, helped us out.”

2021-22 Red Wings Highlights

When the Red Wings were overrun by injuries near the end of the season, Luff played 10 NHL games. He posted a goal, two assists and 14 shots on goal in those games. He’s known as a dependable player.

Matt Luff: NOT a ketchup guy. pic.twitter.com/FlbMmQqmIw

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) April 5, 2023

2021-22 Red Wings Lowlight

In early November, an illegal hit by Montreal Canadiens rookie forward Juraj Slafkovsky caused Luff to spend 10 weeks on the injured list. Slafkovsky, 18, received a boarding major/game misconduct penalty after driving Luff face-first into the boards near the Red Wings bench. The Canadiens beat Detroit 3-2 in a shootout.

Luff suffered a broken wrist that required surgery. Slafkovsky received a two-game NHL suspension.

Before that injury, Luff had played seven games for the Red Wings, even scoring a goal in a road game against the New York Rangers on Nov. 6. After he recovered from the injury in January, the Red Wings returned him to Grand Rapids. He didn’t play another game in the NHL until March 21.

What Does His Detroit Future Hold?

The Red Wings have plenty of reasons to re-sign Luff, including his ability to move up and down from Grand Rapids to Detroit. He has 106 NHL games under his belt and will sign a two-way contract.

“Solid,” Lalonde said. “That’s what you want from a call-up, to come in and contribute, not make mistakes, kind of keep the train going.”

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Lalonde said more than once this season that Luff is valuable. He can hit, block shots and score enough to be helpful. Over the past few seasons, he has flirted with a point-per-game in the American Hockey League. As a player who goes up and down from the AHL to the NHL, he seems desirable.

The only issue for the Red Wings is that they are looking to reconfigure the Griffins with the hope of getting back to the AHL playoffs. Injuries and goaltending were the primary issues for the Griffins, but they may shake up the roster a bit. They are also looking for some veteran forwards with some toughness. Do they have better options than Luff? That’s the only reasons why you would say Luff is a 50-50 to return.

The post Red Wings Review: Matt Luff’s Future appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

The Detroit Red Wings, on the road to play the St. Louis Blues tonight, recalled forward Matt Luff from the Grand Rapids Griffins under emergency conditions.

What that means is the Red Wings have an unidentified player with an injury that could keep him out of the lineup tonight. If the player does play, Luff must be returned to the Griffins.

The Red Wing recalled Austin Czarnik and Simon Edvinsson under those conditions last week. Forward Robby Fabbri and defenseman Gustav Lindstrom were both injured. Czarnik and Edvinsson played last night in a 5-2 loss to the Florida Panthers. However, Edvinsson suffered a lower body injury during the game. He was being examined afterward, and his status is unknown.

UPDATE: The Red Wings on Tuesday recalled forward Matt Luff from the Griffins #GoGRG

Details >> https://t.co/MNRd0xiHm9 pic.twitter.com/q8kj8gmWnL

— Grand Rapids Griffins (@griffinshockey) March 21, 2023

Coach Derek Lalonde said Lindstrom was close to returning, but wasn’t yet 100 percent.

Handling Fabbri With Caution

Lalonde has made it clear that the Red Wing will be cautious with Fabbri (lower body) because he has already experienced three major knee surgeries. Lalonde believes he may be able to return this season.

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“I think we’re going to get to a point here on what’s more valuable for him – a little more time to train and rehab or getting a handful of games at the end,” Lalonde said. “I know the competitive player in him probably wants those handful of games. It’s probably more medical. This is a little different than most injuries because we want to be extremely cautious with him. He’s skating, there has been some progress made, but I still think they’re looking at it from a professional doctor view rather than where he is wanting to play.”

Luff, 25, has been a useful player for the Red Wings organization. He has 25 points in 28 games this season for the Griffins and logged seven games for Detroit. He now has 98 NHL games on his resume. Luff scored in his last game with the Griffins over the weekend.

The Griffins are on the outside edge of the AHL Central Division playoff race. They are 10 points back with 11 games to play.

The post Detroit-Grand Rapids Shuttle Continues: Luff Rejoins Red Wings appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

The Detroit Red Wings provided evidence that their injury situation is improving when they returned Matt Luff and Austin Czarnik to the Grand Rapids Griffins Wednesday.

That would suggest that Robby Fabbri and the other Red Wings with minor injuries are ready to play. The Red Wings don’t play again until Saturday.

Czarnik was called up March 10 and played three games in place of the injured Fabbri. Czarnik played roughly seven to nine minutes and didn’t register a point. Luff was called up this week on an emergency recall because the Red Wings have three unidentified players nursing minor injuries. He didn’t play Tuesday against the Nashville Predators because the players all were able to play in the game.

We asked the players Who on the Team has the WORST Autograph? Check out what they said and let us know if you agree #GoGRG pic.twitter.com/ZpzEkEwyHb

— Grand Rapids Griffins (@griffinshockey) March 15, 2023

Fabbri suffered a lower body injury March 8 on a hit by Chicago Blackhawks forward Tyler Johnson. The Red Wings were initially concerned because Fabbri has had three major knee surgeries in his career. One of those kept him sidelined this season until Jan. 4. But subsequent medical evaluations showed Fabbri would not be out for an extended period with this injury.

Fabbri is a high energy player that seems to fuel the Red Wings when he is in the lineup.

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The Griffins play their next game Thursday on the road against the Cleveland Monsters. Luff and Czarnik have been key performers for the Griffins.  Since his return from injury in late January, Luff has 15 points in 20 games (4-11—15) and is  on a five-game point streak (2-4—6), which is one game shy of tying his career high. Through 25 games with the Griffins, the Windsor, Ontario, native has 23 points (7-16—23) and six penalty minutes.

Czarnik, 30, is third on the Griffins roster with 36 points (13-23—36) in 42 games this season.

The post Czarnik and Luff Head Back to Grand Rapids Griffins appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

The Detroit Red Wings are summoning veteran forward Matt Luff from the AHL Grand Rapids Griffins. That means one of two things. Either a Red Wings forward was injured in Sunday’s 5-3 win over the Boston Bruins. Or it could be that one of the Detroit forwards awoke Monday morning to be battling a bout of illness.

Since the club was enjoying an off day on Monday following back-to-back games with the Bruins on the weekend, the answer won’t be known until Tuesday’s morning skate in Nashville prior to the game later that night against the Predators.

UPDATE: The Detroit #RedWings today recalled right wing Matt Luff from the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins under emergency conditions.

Details: https://t.co/Taz1RnT64Z pic.twitter.com/S8ByB3cwQ4

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) March 13, 2023

During Sunday’s game, Detroit captain Dylan Larkin did leave the game briefly after he was checked by Boston’s David Pastrnak with 3:29 to play in the second period. However, Larkin was able to return and play the third period.

Forward Robby Fabbri has missed the past two games with a lower-body injury. Forward Austin Czarnik was recalled from the Griffins and played both weekend games.

Luff Entering Second Red Wings Tour

This is Luff’s second tour of duty for Detroit. Luff appeared in seven games with the Red Wings earlier this season, scoring one goal. He made his Red Wings debut on Oct. 27 in a 5-1 loss at Boston.

The 25-year-old has seen action with Los Angeles, Nashville and Detroit throughout parts of five NHL campaigns and has accumulated 24 points (14-10-24) and 20 penalty minutes in 94 NHL games. The Red Wings signed Luff to a one-year contract last offseason after he was part of the Predators’ organization a season ago.

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Luff has been carrying the hot hand of late for the Griffins. Since returning from injury on Jan. 28, he has 15 points in 20 outings (4-11-15) and is currently on a five-game point streak. That is one game shy of tying his career high.

The Griffins don’t play again until Thursday. They travel to Cleveland, where they’ll be facing the Monsters.

The post Red Wings Recall Luff From Grand Rapids appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

Earlier this week, the Detroit Red Wings were demoting right-winger Matt Luff to the AHL Grand Rapids Griffins, which wasn’t at all surprising. Luff, 25, was an offseason free-agent addition designed to provide veteran depth for Detroit when necessary.

He was filling that role earlier this season while hurt in a Red Wings game. It only made sense that he’d be going back down to GR once healthy.

His arrival will certainly prove a welcome addiiton to the offensively-challenged Griffins. Luff is averaging better than a point per game over his past three AHL seasons. However, it will once again present a logjam of so-called veteran players in Grand Rapids.

Since the AHL is first and foremost a development league, league rules prohibit teams from suiting up more than five players that are considered veterans. A veteran is someone who has played 260 or more professional games. This would be including AHL, NHL and European elite leagues, or 320 or more professional games. All calculations for development status are based on regular-season totals as of the start of the current season.

Luff gives GR six players who are fitting into this category. It will be interesting to see who sits on Saturday when the Griffins return to action facing the Milwaukee Admirals on the road.

Red Wings In Case You Missed It

• Speaking exclusively to DHN, Pat Brisson, agent for Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin, isn’t alarmed by how slowly negotiations on a new contract for his client are progressing
• His year was starting slowly following offseason core surgery, but Detroit center Andrew Copp is finding his legs and his game again
• Detroit forward Tyler Bertuzzi was returning to action as the Red Wings were beginning their dad’s trip

A beautiful passing play finishes with Robby Fabbri burying the @Energizer OT winner for the @DetroitRedWings! pic.twitter.com/8PkuTCMi9v

— NHL (@NHL) January 27, 2023

• Working overtime, the Red Wings were beating Montreal 4-3 on Robby Fabbri’s goal
• Michael Rasmussen and Moritz Seider were driving forces as Detroit beat Montreal

Red Wings Next Game

Detroit is traveling to Long Island to face the New York Islanders on Friday. The Red Wings are 0-3-2 in their last five road games against the Islanders.

Hockey Now Network

Islanders: Some crazy stats from what’s been a dreadful January for the New York Islanders.

Montreal: Watch as Kirby Dach of the Montreal Canadiens and Detroit’s Andrew Copp are dropping the gloves in Thursday’s game.

Pittsburgh: Goalie Casey DeSmith and forward Teddy Blueger got into an altercation during the morning skate for the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Boston: The Boston Bruins fell 3-2 to the Lightning at Tampa Bay.

Florida: There’s no question that forward Carter Verhaeghe has exceeded all expectations since joining the Florida Panthers.

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Washington: Nicklas Backstrom scored the shootout winner as the Washington Capitals beat Pittsburgh.

Philadelphia: It was a fight fest as the Philadelphia Flyers dropped a 3-2 overtime decision to the Minnesota Wild.

Calgary: The Calgary Flames have lost stalwart shutdown defenseman Chris Tanev to injury.

Vegas: The Vegas Golden Knights are expecting to get both Shea Theodore and Will Carrier back from injury for Friday’s game against the New York Rangers.

San Jose: An NHL scout offers an assessment of Martin Knaut, one of the newest San Jose Sharks.

Colorado: There are reports that the Colorado Avalanche are a team to monitor in the trde market for Montreal Canadiens center Sean Monahan.

The post The Daily: Luff demotion to Grand Rapids creating familiar issue for Red Wings farm club; Avalanche after Monahan? appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

On the day the Detroit Red Wings announced Matt Luff would be out for 10 to 12 weeks after wrist surgery, the NHL handed a 2-game suspension to Montreal Canadiens rookie Juraj Slafkovsky for causing the injury.

Slafkovsky, 18, received a boarding major/game misconduct penaly Detroit Red Wings  after driving Luff face-first into the boards near the Red Wings bench. The Canadiens beat Detroit 3-2 in a shootout.

It was the second time in two games, a Canadiens forward was assessed a major penalty for boarding in the third period. Josh Anderson did the same against the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday. He also received a two-game suspension.

Slafkovsky was the No.1 overall pick in the 2022 NHL draft.

In Case You Missed It

Nate Brown writes about why Cross Hanas is enjoying a strong start with the Grand Rapids Griffins.

Matt Luff will be sidelined for 10 to 12 weeks, but Tyler Bertuzzi will be returning to the Red Wings’ lineup next week.

Even with the Detroit Red Wings‘ improved defensive play, the margin of error is “very thin.” That was coach Derek Lalonde’s message after the team lost 3-2 in a shootout to the Montreal Canadiens.

The Red Wings’ Next Game

The 7-3-3 Detroit Red Wings will play the New York Rangers tonight in Little Caesars Arena. The Red Wings beat the Rangers 3-2 in overtime at New York’s Madison Square Garden on Sunday.

Hockey Now Network

Boston: All the signs point to injured defenseman Charlie McAvoy returning to the Bruins’ lineup. This is well ahead of schedule. Boston Bruins. 

Florida: Spencer Knight’s 40-save shutout keeps the Panthers hot at home (4-0-1). Florida Panthers.

New York:  Fake Twitter accounts have fooled people from the beginning. But new owner Elon Musk’s plan to sell verified check marks for $8 a month has prompted a fresh supply of fake accounts. One caused a stir in the sports world Wednesday when a new verified account, which looked like Connor McDavid’s account, announced he had been traded to the New York Islanders. New York Islanders.

Pittsburgh: The Penguins 0-6-1 slump is over. Dave Molinari explains how the Penguins regained their mojo. Pittsburgh Penguins.

San Jose: JD Young of SJHN reviews whether new general manager Mike Grier’s acquisitions are paying dividends. San Jose Sharks.

Vegas: Owen Krepps of Vegas Hockey Now offers four reasons why the Golden Knights are off to the best start in their young history. Golden Knights.  

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